1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to collapsible structures, and in particular, to collapsible structures that incorporate a sleeping accessory.
2. Description of the Prior Art
There are presently many collapsible structures that are being provided for use by children and adults. Examples of these collapsible structures are illustrated in the following patents: U.S. Pat. No. 5,816,954 (Zheng), U.S. Pat. No. 6,006,772 (Zheng), U.S. Pat. No. 5,778,915 (Zheng), U.S. Pat. No. 5,467,794 (Zheng), U.S. Pat. No. 5,975,101 (Zheng), U.S. Pat. No. 5,722,446 (Zheng), U.S. Pat. No. 4,858,634 (McLeese), U.S. Pat. No. 4,825,592 (Norman), U.S. Pat. No. 5,964,533 (Ziglar), U.S. Pat. No. 5,971,188 (Kellogg et al.), and U.S. Pat. No. 5,038,812 (Norman), among others. These collapsible structures are supported by one or more frame members that can be twisted and folded to reduce the overall size of the structure. These collapsible structures can be used in a wide variety of applications, such as containers, tents, play structures, executive toys, shelters, sports structures, and others. As a result, collapsible structures have become very popular.
One other possible application for such collapsible structures is for use as a slumber tent, where a sleeping accessory or equipment, such as a sleeping bag, pillow, light futon or mattress, or similar support, is incorporated with the collapsible structure. When a collapsible structure is being adapted for use as a sleeping or slumber tent, ease of use (i.e., convenience) and storage considerations become important. For example, such a structure should provide quick and convenient access to the interior, and should be easy to fold into a smaller configuration for storage.
Thus, there still remains a need to provide collapsible sleeping structures that are convenient to use and that are easy to store.